Kris Zocco, facing trial this month in the 2013 disappearance and death of Kelly Dwyer, confessed to a fellow inmate, prosecutors now say.

The inmate also told police Zocco has been trying to get him and his wife to find someone to silence an ex-girlfriend, expected to be a key state witness at Zocco's trial later this month.

Zocco, 43, is serving nearly 20 years on a conviction for possession of child pornography discovered during the investigation of Dwyer's disappearance, and the conversations with the other inmate all happened at Waupun Correctional Institution, according to a new criminal complaint charging Zocco with solicitation to intimidate a witness.

Kelly Dwyer(Photo11: Milwaukee County Sheriff's Office)

He was charged with Dwyer's homicide in 2017, two years after her body was finally discovered in a remote area of Jefferson County. Without any physical evidence, prosecutors are counting on an extensive mesh of circumstance for their case — and now the inmate's testimony as well.

Dwyer was last seen on surveillance video entering Zocco's east side apartment Oct. 11, 2013. She was reported missing the next day after she failed to show up at her job.

The new criminal complaint does not identify the other inmate beyond the initials DL, or indicate how long a sentence he's serving or for what type of conviction.

DL also told detectives that Zocco told him Dwyer died during rough sex and that he "freaked out" and hid her body, the same theory prosecutors have pursued from day one.

Assistant District Attorney Sara Hill said in the complaint that DL insists he has not read the criminal complaint in the homicide and learned only general information from news reports before obtaining the detailed information directly from Zocco.

DL told detectives he only decided to come forward because "it was the right thing to do" and because Zocco showed no remorse at all about what Dwyer's family has been through.

As to the solicitation to intimidate a witness, DL told detectives last month that in July, Zocco sought his "help" regarding an ex-girlfriend Zocco believed was the state's only real witness against him and said he and his family had money and could "take care of anybody who takes care of me."

DL said Zocco promised more details about the ex-girlfriend if DL decided to help him, then began trying to enlist DL's wife and talking about having someone "on call" for a "hit."

DL's wife corroborated to detectives that her husband had mentioned Zocco's confession last year and that Zocco called her last month. She said he told her, "Your husband wants you to get a digital and paper copy. You know what that means."

The woman told detectives she had no idea what Zocco meant, but replied, "Tell my husband I'll take care of it" and hung up.

In his most recent interview with detectives, DL told them that Zocco had also sought his help in obtaining "hard-core" pornography, preferably involving choking. Any kind of pornography is strictly prohibited in prisons.

Prosecutors plan to call two of Zocco's ex-girlfriends as witnesses. One would say Zocco would block her breathing during sex. Another, who was dating him at the time Dwyer disappeared, would testify about Zocco's demeanor.

Zocco was in court Tuesday on the new charges, but his attorney from the homicide case, Craig Mastantuono, told Circuit Judge Jeffrey Wagner he had not been retained for the witness intimidation charge.

Zocco's initial appearance on the new charge was rescheduled to Thursday.

His trial on the 2017 charges of first-degree reckless homicide, hiding a corpse and strangulation is scheduled to begin Sept. 24, though that date could now be in jeopardy given developments related to the new charge.